The present invention relates as indicated to a dispenser for moist tissues, and relates more particularly to a dispenser in which a treated perforated tissue web is placed within the dispenser and in which a single tissue is dispensed by severing the forward-most, partially exposed tissue from the remainder of the web.
Moist tissues or towelettes of the type here concerned are becoming increasingly popular for the purpose of providing a means by which suitable cleansing can be effected without access to normal cleaning facilities, such as bathrooms or the like. Moist tissues are particularly useful during periods of travel where the occupants of the vehicle are without cleaning facilities between stops.
As previously indicated, the perforated web of tissues is disposed in the container, and the dispensing operation must be such that a single tissue can be separated from the web, and such operation consistently repeated. Accordingly, a friction dispensing outlet of some type is required, that is, an outlet in which the free dispensing of the tissue is restricted by frictional resistance encountered by the web through the dispensing outlet. As well understood by those in the art, if the frictional resistance is not sufficient, the web will be pulled unimpeded or "roped" through the dispensing outlet, resulting in the dispensing of several individual tissues at a time, rather than a single tissue as intended. On the other hand, if the frictional resistance at the dispensing opening is excessivly large, the leading tissue will tend to separate prematurely above the perforation line with the succeeding tissue, with the disadvantageous results from such premature tearing being the dispensing of only a partial tissue or the tearing of the leading tissue at or closely adjacent the dispensing opening, thereby making it difficult to extract the leading end of the tissue for further dispensing operations. Optimum dispensing conditions occur when the leading tissue is separated from the web at a predetermined level of friction resistance so that the leading end of the succeeding tissue is exposed exteriorly of the dispensing outlet so as to be readily grasped by the user when the next dispensing occurs.
The problems referred to above in the dispensing of moist tissues are well recognized in the art, and various solutions have been proposed. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,296, to Thomas S. Harrison, granted July 31, 1973, the dispensing outlet is in the form of a cross provided by intersecting slits, with the slits being shaped to provide the desired frictional resistance to the leading tissue during the dispensing operation. However, this proposed solution has the disadvantage that if premature tearing occurs, it is difficult for the user to reach into the interior of the container through the slits to grasp and extract the leading end of the tissue.
A further proposed solution to the noted problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,017, issued Oct. 22, 1974 to Thomas S. Harrison, which discloses a container for dispensing moist tissues in which the dispensing outlet is defined by a movable flap which totally or partially covers an opening formed in the lid of the receptacle so as to define with such opening an outlet through the tissue can be pulled for sequential dispensing of tissue from the web. One form of the invention provides a relatively small, fixed dispensing outlet, and has the disadvantage that such fixed opening cannot adequately accommodate varying widths and bulk of the web material. Although the single opening may dispense satisfactorily a web having a particular width and weight, variations in the web width and material reduce the effectiveness of the fixed opening to properly tension the web.